Senators call on Obama to grant Keystone XL approval

NEW YORK  A bipartisan group of 10 Senators has called on President Obama to approve TransCanada Corp.s proposed Keystone XL pipeline following the release of the State Departments final environmental assessment of the project.

"I have a simple message for the President: its time to make a decision on Keystone XL," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) said in a statement. "Ive been saying that for several years, but with the release of the State Departments latest supplemental environmental impact statement, the time to make a decision has really, truly, unavoidably come."

"The Obama administration is now out of excuses for refusing to grant completion of this project," Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) said. "By any reasonable standard, the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest and will enhance U.S. economic and energy security."

The State Department assessment found that the Alberta-to-Oklahoma pipeline would not significantly exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions (amm.com, Jan. 31), one of President Obamas key yardsticks for its approval (amm.com, June 26).